This invention relates to a cleated athletic shoe for use in playing soccer, football, rugby and the like. In particular, the invention relates to a cleated athletic shoe having an improved sole and upper design providing enhanced stability and foot control and a secure and comfortable fit.
Cleated athletic shoes for playing soccer, football, rugby and the like should be durable and lightweight while still providing a snug and comfortable fit which supports and stabilizes the foot. Previous efforts at enhancing the stability of athletic shoes have resulted in staggered arrangements of lace openings such as described in Johnson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,876. Staggered lacing arrangements are also shown in Cavanaugh, U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,431, Derderian et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,342 and Autry, U.S. Pat. No. 4,670,949. A disadvantage of these previous lacing arrangements, however, is that they fail to fully appreciate the differences between the instep and outstep of the foot directly underneath the lacing arrangement.
Other efforts at improving the stability and overall performance of cleated athletic shoes have involved the incorporation of reinforcing material across substantially the entire arch region of the sole as described in Stubblefield, U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,662. Flemming, U.S. Pat. No. 4,858,343, illustrates a different approach using a web reinforcement aligned diagonally across the bottom of the sole. Alternative reinforcement designs are desired, however, which provide a greater amount of added rigidity to the sole and added support to the arch region of the foot without excessively increasing the weight and bulk thereof.